


5 Times Peter Apologized to Tony

by CarpeDiem369



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Arguments, Author will add new tags as chapters are posted, Blood and Injury, Camping, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hidden Injuries, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Irondad, Misunderstandings, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Has Anxiety, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Thunderstorms, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Wilderness Survival, Yelling, spiderson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:22:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27508300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarpeDiem369/pseuds/CarpeDiem369
Summary: + 1 Time Tony Apologized to Peter
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 23
Kudos: 119





	1. Don’t Hide Injuries From Tony Stark

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, my wonderful readers!!! I’m back with my third story and first multi-chapter fic! Let me just say that I didn’t know how difficult it would be to commit to completing these stories...so I have MAJOR respect for the authors out there putting chapters up weekly and on time. I hope you enjoy the first chapter as much as I did writing it! :))

Evening patrols were Peter’s favorite. That’s when all the bad guys came out to wreak havoc on the city. It’s definitely the best time for Spider-Manning.

_ Yes, Mr. Stark. It  is  an actual word.  _

Peter recalled that particular argument with his mentor fondly as he sent another web out. When it attached securely, Peter used the momentum of his swing to flip up onto the roof of a rundown apartment complex on the shadier side of Queens. 

“That was a nice landing, Peter.”

Peter smiled, “Aw, thanks Karen. You’re the best.” His AI  _ was  _ the best. She wasn’t just great for tactical and informational purposes. She was a good companion; Someone to talk to on sleepless nights when nightmares had him shooting up in bed in a cold sweat. Tony made her personable.

“You’re very sweet,” Karen laughed. Can an AI laugh? Peter didn’t know. That’s just how personable Mr. Stark made her. 

Peter perched on the edge of the building, his suit’s eyes narrowing. “Hey, Karen. Can you scan the surrounding area for any action?”

“Scanning...”

A chilling scream tore through the silence.

“There appears to be a mugging down an alley four blocks away.”

Peter shot a web and hurried toward the source of the cry. “Yeah, yeah yeah, I heard. Thanks, Karen!” 

When he swung onto a roof next to the alley, Peter peeked down. A middle-aged woman was pushed up against the wall, knife hovering dangerously close to her stomach. The mugger had his hoodie up, so his face was shadowed. 

“P-please. I-I barely have any money,” the woman begged. 

Peter crept down the side of the wall above them. 

“I don’t give a fuck. I’ve got people I owe! Hand over whatever you have or I’ll...wha-hey!”

Peter had shot a web once he got a good angle from above, snatching the knife from the thief’s grasp. He pushed off the wall and landed behind the man. 

“Hey, you should really keep better track of your stuff, dude,” Peter quipped, knife in hand. He motioned for the woman to run. With wide eyes and a cry of fright, she scrambled away while her assailant was distracted. “You’re welcome!” Peter shouted after her. 

The man seethed from beneath his hood. “You’re a dead man, Bug-boy.”

“First of all, rude. I resent that. Spiders are arachnids, not bugs. Secondly...”

Peter lunged forward and punched the man, disorienting him before webbing him to the wall. 

“I have your weapon. You’re outmatched.” Peter twirled the knife before tossing it into the nearest dumpster. He watched as it made a satisfying clang. 

Suddenly, Peter was sent flying from a powerful blast of blue energy. The back of his head hit the wall with a sickening crack. He sunk to the ground, groaning. 

The thief cackled from his place webbed to the wall. “Oh, yeah! I knew this baby was worth the cost.”

Peter forced open his eyes and pushed himself up, biting back a cry as a sharp pain throbbed in the back of his head. He saw the man holding what looked like a piece of alien tech in his free right hand. Even though Spider-Man had stopped the Vulture, a few stray weapons were still in the wrong hands. Peter had been working to find them and hand them over to Tony, where the man had then safely disabled and destroyed them. Looks like he just found another one...and forgotten to check that he had webbed up the criminal properly.  _ Great .  _

“Peter, you have multiple lacerations on your back and a bleeding wound on the back of your head. It also appears you have a mild  concussion. I recommend you call Mr. Stark.”

Peter stumbled to his feet, ignoring Karen and the black spots in his vision. He barely dodged another blast as he leapt to the side. Flicking his wrist, Peter webbed the man’s free arm and loosened his grip on the alien tech. The nerf-sized gun clattered to the ground. 

The criminal shouted curses at Spider-Man and squirmed in the webs. The headache and stiffness worsened as Peter’s adrenaline began to wear off. He stumbled over and picked up the weapon. 

“What’s the matter, Spider-Man? Not so talkative now, huh?” The man huffed. “Good. You never shut your damn-mmph!”

Peter sighed as he webbed the man’s mouth shut. Man, his head  _ hurt. _

“I have informed the police of the assailant’s capture. Peter, it would be wise to call Mr. Stark based on your condition.”

“I’m fine Karen. No need to bother Mr. Stark.” Peter shot a web and pulled himself up onto the nearest rooftop. He sat down and put his head between his knees in an attempt to ease the headache. Tony had better things to do than deal with Peter’s injuries. He could handle himself. The man had already done so much for him. He scheduled the biweekly lab days and occasional sleepovers at the Avengers tower, which Tony re-purchased after deciding to be more hands-on with Peter’s mentoring. He didn’t need Peter bothering him every time he got hurt patrolling. 

With a dizzying headache, Peter webbed back to his apartment, trusting his healing factor would make things better by morning. 

* * *

So, everything was most definitely  not okay. Peter had woken to a pounding headache and an upset stomach. Thankfully, his back wounds had healed, leaving faded red lines in their place. 

Peter sucked in a quick breath. His pillow had a bloodstain on it.  _ Shoot.  _ He forgot to clean his head injury last night. In fact, from the time he entered his window to his head hitting the pillow was all a blur. Peter chalked it up to delirium from the pain. He switched out the pillowcase and hid the soiled one at the bottom of his hamper. 

“Peter, are you up? You’re going to be late!”

Peter hunched his shoulders up and grimaced, May’s shout causing pain to pound like tiny hammers in his head. 

“I’m up,” he called back, as loud as his head could handle. 

Seeing the time, Peter quickly got his backpack ready, threw his clothes on, and rushed past the kitchen toward the door. 

“What? No breakfast?” May grabbed his backpack, pulling him back. Peter stumbled. “You need to eat with that super metabolism of yours sweetie.”

Peter groaned, snatching an apple off the counter. He took a large chomp. “Th’re. ‘appy?”

May rolled her eyes and smiled. “Yes. Now get outta here, mister.”

Peter ran out the door, leaving a goodbye lingering behind. 

Stomach too unsettled to eat anything, Peter threw the apple into the first trash can he saw. 

* * *

Peter met Ned at Midtown’s front doors. With his head spinning so badly, Peter walked up the steps to avoid a rather embarrassing face-plant  on the sidewalk. 

Ned grimaced, “Dude, don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like shit.”

“I know,” Peter sighed. 

“Why are you even at school? What happened? Was it...you know?” Ned whispered, making not-so subtle web-shooting motions. 

Peter rubbed his eyes, “Yeah, I took a pretty bad hit last night. I’ll be fine.” He walked past Ned and was about to open the doors, but a pair of hands latched onto his arm and yanked him back. Peter fell back, knocking into Ned. His vision blurred as his head was jarred.

“Watch it, Penis Parker!” Flash smirked, rushing past them and through the school doors. 

Peter righted himself, glaring weakly after the bully. 

“Um, Peter?” Ned asked. “Exactly how hard were you hit last night?”

“Not that hard,” Peter lied. “Why?” He turned to look at his friend. 

“I’m not sure what you consider ‘hard’, but you have blood...like, all over the back of your head.” Ned deadpanned. 

“ _ What!?”  _ Shoot. He forgot to clean his head wound last night, then  _ again _ this morning! _What’s going on with me_?

“You should probably clean that before someone sees.”

Peter nodded, “Yeah. Yeah you’re right. Uh...I’ll just clean it off in the bathroom.”

Ned grimaced, “Are you sure? I don’t think it’s very sanitary in there, dude.”

Peter pushes the doors open to school. “It’ll have to do. I don’t really have any other options here, Ned.”

“Uh, go home?”

“Not happening.”

* * *

“Mr. Parker. Are you with us?”

Peter snapped his head up from where he was nursing his headache. “Yeah. Sorry.”

His chemistry teacher sighed before continuing with the lesson. 

In Peter’s defense, he really tried to pay attention after that, but all the information seemed to go in one ear and out the other. A perpetual  fog covered his brain, making it impossible to retain any information. 

With a sigh of defeat, Peter curled his arms back around his head, preparing for a long day. 

* * *

When Peter crawled into the back of Happy’s car, he just about took a power nap  right then and there. He barely made it through the school day with his sanity. Peter was tempted to ask Happy to just take him home, but lab days were his favorite days of the week. He couldn’t miss out and risk disappointing his mentor.

Happy did a double-take at Peter’s appearance. “Wow, kid. You look like shit.”

“So I’ve been told.”

Happy looked like he wanted to push, but he closed his mouth, rolled up the division window  to give Peter some privacy, and put the car in drive. 

* * *

When Peter walked into the Tony’s lab at the tower, he was greeted with blaring music that caused his headache to pound with a new ferocity. He hunched his shoulders up in discomfort, waving frantically at the ceiling. Thankfully, F.R.I.D.A.Y. took the hint and turned the music down to more manageable levels. 

Tony turned from his workbench, mini screw driver in-hand. “Hey, Pete! Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”

Peter shrugged his backpack off onto his own workbench. “It’s okay.” He gave his mentor a forgiving smile, but it probably came out closer to a grimace. 

Tony frowned, eyes flicking up and down, taking in Peter’s state. “You okay?”

Peter’s face flushed self-consciously. “Y-yeah. Just didn’t get much sleep last night.”

The lie only seemed to concern Tony even more, but he didn’t press. “Yeah. Okay,” Tony waved him over. “Grab a seat, spiderling. I’ll show you what I’m working on.”

Peter did as he said and watched with interest as Tony explained how his nanotechnology Iron Man suit would form. 

“...So this little doohickey will be a housing unit for the nanoparticles. When I double tap, like so, they will come out to form a very awesome suit. At least, that’s the plan. Hey. Kid? You follow me?”

Peter rubbed his eyes, blinking rapidly to focus and remember all the information. “Yeah. Sorry, Mr. Stark. I am.”

Tony’s eyes narrowed at him skeptically. He turned to face Peter and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Okay, then,” he tapped the device on the workbench. “Explain what this is.”

Peter blanched , “Um...it’s a-a housing unit? For nanotechnology?”

“Is that a question or an answer?”

“...An answer?”

Tony nodded, “And how do I activate it?”

“You press the...wait!” Peter stammered. “No, you triple-tap the-the center?” 

By the unimpressed look on Tony’s face, Peter figured he guessed wrong. 

“Am I boring you?” Tony asked without humor. 

“N-no! No sir.”

“Then what’s going on with you, kid? You’ve understood harder concepts. This shouldn’t be that difficult to grasp.”

Peter ducked his head in shame, eyes filling with tears. God, he was such a screwup. Now, Tony was disappointed in him. 

“Hey. No. Look at me.”

Peter sniffled, unable to bring himself to see the disappointment on his mentor’s face. 

“I’m not mad,” Tony’s voice took a softer tone. “I just want to understand what the problem is.”

Peter slowly lifted his red-rimmed eyes to meet Tony’s. 

Tony’s gaze held no disappointment. He leaned forward, resting a hand on Peter’s knee. “You’re a smart kid, Pete. I know that. You know that. This is something else, am I right?”

Peter hesitated, then nodded. 

Tony squeezed his knee. “Right. Okay. Can you tell me what it is?”

_No. He’ll be angry. He’ll take away your suit. He’ll never want to see you again_. 

As if reading Peter’s spiraling thoughts, Tony ducked his head to meet his eyes once again. “I won’t be mad. Well, okay,” Tony backtracked. “Depending on what it is, I may be a little upset. But not mad. I promise.”

Peter chewed on his his lower lip. After a moment, he sighed. “Okay.”

Tony sat back in his chair and nodded at Peter to begin.

Peter took a breath. “So, I stopped a mugging last night and webbed the guy up, but he got an arm free. So the dude kind of got his hands on an alien weapon that I didn’t know he had, and now I have this really bad headache because he blasted me into a wall.”

Tony blinked. “Let me get this straight. You got blasted into a wall and thought it was a good idea to go to school? No. Don’t answer that. Rhetorical question.”

Peter closed his mouth. 

Tony rubbed a hand over his eyes. “Pete, if you take a hit to the head, tell someone. If you have any injury of any kind, you  _ tell someone.” _

“I can’t tell May; She’d freak out! I’d never get to go out as Spider-Man if she knew all the injuries I got.”

“All the...” Tony sucked in a breath. “Okay. New rule. You get hurt, you call me. I don’t care if it’s a splinter. You. Call. Me. Capiche?”

“I wouldn’t have to tell May?” Peter asked. 

Tony nodded. “As long as you keep up your end of the deal. I can have your AI...what do you call her? Carol? Carmen?”

“Karen,” Peter murmured. 

“Right. I’m going to reprogram her to inform me if you enter your apartment with any injury worse than a bruise. Call it insurance.”

Seeing that this was probably his best option, Peter acquiesced. “Okay. I’m really sorry, Mr. Stark.”

“Just don’t make it a habit of swinging into my penthouse with stab wounds, and we’ll call it even.”

Peter smiled, “Deal.”

Tony smiled back, giving him a pat on the knee. He pulled Peter’s chair beside his, cupped a hand behind his neck, and pushed Peter’s head into his shoulder. The man began running his fingers gently through his hair. 

Peter breathed in the scent of motor oil and expensive cologne. It was a smell he had unknowingly grown to associate with comfort. He wrapped his arms around his mentor. 

“It’s not a hug. I’m just checking your head injury.”

Peter stiffened. 

“Kidding,” Tony chuckled. “We’re there, Pete. I am looking at your boo-boo, though.”

Peter groaned against Tony’s shoulder. “Please don’t call it that, Mr. Stark.”

“Right. You’re manly head wound inflicted in battle.”

“Better.”

Tony snorted. 

Tony brushed his fingers over the healing injury, causing Peter to hiss in discomfort, pushing his head further into Tony’s shoulder. 

“Sorry, kiddo,” Tony scratched his scalp in apology as he inspected the wound. “Well, you didn’t do a great job of cleaning it.”

“Yeah, about that...I kind of forgot to last night? So I had to clean it at school,” Peter admitted sheepishly.

“Please don’t tell me you cleaned it where I think you did.”

“...Sorry.”

“ Peter!”

“What? In my defense, that was my only option.”

“Um, no,” Tony pulled Peter up and dragged him to a sink. He plopped Peter in a chair. “We’re going to clean this properly. I can’t believe you washed an injury in a disgusting, germ-infested boy’s bathroom. You could’ve gotten an infection, Peter!” Tony grabbed a first-aid kit from a cabinet under the sink, slamming the door with more force than necessary. 

Peter flinched, feeling the familiar pang of anxiety in his chest. He bore holes into his shoes. “I’m sorry,” Peter winced. 

Tony opened the kit, grabbing rubbing alcohol, cotton pads, and a white cloth. He sat down in a seat of his own, closing the kit with a sigh. “I’m still not mad, Pete. Upset? Definitely. But not mad.”

Some of the tension in Peter’s shoulders loosened. Tony spun his chair so the back of Peter’s head was facing him. His mentor carefully parted his hair. 

“This might sting,” he warned. 

Peter scrunched up his face as the cotton pad saturated with alcohol made contact with his head. Then Tony rubbed it gently, causing his  wound to burn. Peter grit his teeth in pain. 

After a couple more swipes and a drying with the cloth, Tony squeezed Peter’s shoulder. “All done.”

Peter sighed reaching to rub his sore head. He yelped when his hand was slapped away. 

“Nope. No touching,” Tony reprimanded before turning Peter’s chair back around. He softened the blow with a smile. 

Tony reached into the kit once more to grab a small pen light.  He quickly shone the light in Peter’s eyes. Peter squinted against the harsh light. 

“Okay,” Tony put the light down. “Your pupils look good, but based on your inability to focus and retain information, I’d say you have a concussion. Did you have problems focusing at school?”

Peter rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. I really tried, but I couldn’t make sense of anything being taught.”

Tony nodded with a small smile. “Not your fault. Weird concussion stuff. With your healing factor, you should only need to take it easy for a few days. That means no school, no electronics, and definitely no Spider-Man.”

“But Mr.  _ Stark,” _ Peter groaned.

“Queens will be just fine for a few days.” Seeing his protégé wasn’t comforted, Tony offered, “...And maybe Iron Man will pay Queens a visit while its friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is on vacation.”

Peter perked up at that. “Really?”

Tony chuckled, “Yes, really.”

Peter jumped up and tackled his mentor in a hug. “Thank you, Mr. Stark!”

Tony cradled the back of Peter’s head carefully. He smiled, “Anytime, kiddo.”


	2. Don’t Trust Peter Parker to Read A Map

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Peter,” Tony said. “Are we lost?”
> 
> “Um, that depends,” Peter mumbled. “Do you have a cell phone?”
> 
> “No. I didn’t think we’d need one considering we have a map and all.”
> 
> “Then yeah. We’re lost.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I actually posted another chapter in a week!! *shocked pikachu face*
> 
> Let me just say I had so much fun writing this chapter. This is probably one of my favorite headcannons. I had to do some research for this chapter, and I learned a lot of things about maps that I wasn’t aware of!
> 
> I love every single one of you ☺️ I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I’ve loved writing it!!

Outside the city, it seemed like a whole other world. It was much more fresh and green in nature, lacking the poignant smells and towering structures that came with city life. Then there were the sounds. The constant chatter of birds filled the air, and a quiet breeze rustled the thick foliage above. He could do without the bugs, though. Still, being out in the middle of nowhere was sort of peaceful. 

Until a startled shout followed by a crash broke the silence. 

“Um, Mr. Stark? My tent kind of collapsed on me.”

Tony sighed, opening his tent flap to see Peter’s failed attempt at pitching his own tent. 

A mop of brown curls popped out from a pile of rods and fabric. Peter gave him a sheepish smile. 

Tony hid a smirk. He crossed his arms, flicking his head towards the forgotten papers near Peter’s camping gear. “I thought I gave you instructions.”

“Instructions are for the simple-minded,” Peter said. “It’s like building legos. You never use the guide.”

“I beg to differ, considering your situation.”

“I almost had it, Mr. Stark! I think I just need something to hold the tent down. That’s why it fell on me.”

Tony sauntered over to the instructions, tossed them aside, and grabbed a bag full of pegs that were hiding underneath. He waved them at Peter. 

Peter stumbled out of his fallen tent and over to Tony. He took the bag, staring at its contents. “ _Oh,_ right. ”

Tony snorted, “Yeah. Right. Let me help you pitch your tent so we can get this show on the road, kid.”

Spring break had just begun for Peter, so Tony had decided to take his protege out on a camping trip, something Howard Stark never did with his kid. Tony had always been meaning to, “get out and see the sun,” quoting Pepper as she’s tried  to drag him out of the lab. So, when Tony heard Peter was on break, the man was admittedly excited for the opportunity to get the kid away from the city for a two-day camping excursion in the woods of a public park (that Tony may or may not have bought out for this occasion). In the process, Tony would be righting another one of his father’s wrongs and pleasing Pepper by going outdoors. There. Killing two birds with one stone.  _Take that, Howard_.

Once they finished pitching Peter’s tent, Tony reached into his backpack and threw a bottle of sunscreen at the kid, expecting Peter’s freaky spider-sense to do its magic. So, when the kid shouted in surprise as the bottle smacked him in the head, Tony was confused to say the least. Maybe a little concerned. 

“What was that for?” Peter groaned, wincing as he rubbed the side of his head. 

Tony picked up the sunscreen, squinting at him in concern. “You tell me, Spiderling. What happened to that Peter-tingle of yours?”

“Yeah...no. I know May told you about that name, but we are  not  calling it my Peter-tingle.”

Tony sighed, “Okay. Spidey-sense, Petey-prickle, arachnid-alert...either way, not the point. I thought it was full-proof.”

Peter scrunched his nose up cutely in distaste. “Petey-prickle?”

“Stop deflecting.”

“Okay, okay,” Peter looked down, picking at his fingernails and shifting his feet on the ground anxiously. After a moment, he sighed, “I guess I’ve just been stretching myself pretty thin lately. With studying for midterms and being Spider-Man, I haven’t really had much time to relax. It’s just in the last few days that my spidey-sense hasn’t been working right...”

Tony frowned, “And you weren’t patrolling while your senses were offline, were you?”

Peter looked up, eyes wide. “No! No, of course not. That would be pretty dumb, even for me. It was working this morning, so I’m fine now.”

With a nod, Tony rested a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Okay. Well, you have the rest of our relaxing camping trip to get that tingle of yours back in shape. Find your zen this weekend. Inner peace and all that jazz. Cool?”

Peter grinned up at him, “Cool.”

Tony smiled, pulling the kid in for a side hug. Peter rested his head on Tony’s shoulder with a sigh. They stayed like that for a bit, gazing at the peaceful, green landscape around them. In that moment, all was right in their little world.

* * *

“Uhh, Mr Stark? What’re the different colored lines on the map for?” Peter slowed down to let Tony catch up with him on the trail then proceeded to shove a comically large map in the inventor’s face. 

Tony reeled back, squinting at the trail map he gave to Peter. He figured the kid should learn some basic navigational skills like orienteering. He strongly believed in the importance of having some survival skills under your belt. Especially when you’re in charge of a certain spider kid who has a penchant for trouble.

“Those mark the different trails,” Tony pointed at an old oak tree up ahead with a red mark on the trunk. “The red mark corresponds with the red trail.”

Peter shrugged his backpack further up his shoulders. He tapped the yellow trail on the map. “That one leads to a stream. Can we take that one?”

Tony swept his hand in a dramatic gesture. “Lead the way, Columbus.”

With a beaming grin and a bounce in his step, Peter continued down the trail with his nose buried in the map. 

Tony smiled, looping his fingers in his backpack straps and marching on. 

***

An hour into their hike, dark, looming clouds covered the sun, dropping the temperature to a more comfortable level. Tony took his baseball cap off with a sigh and wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead. He had let Peter take the lead on navigating the hike, so the kid was a few strides ahead, glancing between the paper map and his surroundings.

The worn path of the trail they had been on became more overgrown the further they hiked. Truthfully, Tony had felt a smidge of worry prod at him several times, but he trusted Peter’s judgement. With the kid’s enhanced senses and tingle, there was no way...they couldn’t possibly...

Tony sighed, “Hey, Pete?” He stopped, calling the kid back. “Let’s take a water break, alright?”

Peter stopped in his tracks and turned around. He glanced back at the trail before folding the map up and trudging back to Tony with a strange look on his face. His brown hair was curling in the heat, loose waves and curls shinning with sweat. They both pulled out their water bottles and drank slowly, and Tony watched as Peter fiddled with the bottle cap in between sips. 

“So, where are we at?” Tony asked bluntly. 

Peter nervously screwed the bottle’s cap on and off, not meeting Tony’s eyes. He muttered something unintelligible. 

“Peter,” Tony said. “Are we lost?”

“Um, that depends,” Peter mumbled. “Do you have a cell phone?”

“No. I didn’t think we’d need one considering we have a map and all.”

“Then yeah. We’re lost.”

Tony groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Can you explain to me how a spider kid with a built-in tingle for these kinds of issues gets us lost? I thought it was working this morning?”

Peter shuffled his feet, “I don’t know. I guess I got stressed? I’ve never read a paper map before, and it was kind of confusing.”

Tony took a breath, getting ready to berate the kid for not telling him about how stressed and unsure he was, how he should’ve just given Tony the map, ask the kid why he felt the need to hide how he was feeling...

But, no. Now wasn’t the time to reprimand the kid. A distant rumble of thunder focused Tony’s priorities. He shoved his water bottle into his backpack then held his hand out for the map. Peter handed it to Tony, meeting his eyes for the first time since they stopped. They held a weight of guilt and sadness that pulled at Tony’s heart. 

“Mr. Stark, I’m really sorry.”

Tony ignored the apology. They’d talk later, and he’d be giving the kid a thorough lesson in orienteering. So he unfolded the map, gestured for Peter to follow him, and started walking. 

***

“...Mr. Stark?”

“Not now, Peter.” Tony silently cursed as they continued walking down yet another path, no trail markers in sight. The sun was beginning to set based on Tony’s best guess, but the overcast sky made it feel darker than it was. They’d been hiking for hours, having yet to see a familiar land mark or a trail free of overgrowth. 

Peter tried again, “But there’s a-“

“Peter,” Tony clenched his teeth, biting back a frustrated retort. 

Silence. Peter trudged sullenly beside him, eyes tracing patterns in the ground. He gripped his backpack straps a little tighter. 

Tony sighed. He opened the map again, looking for any major land marks that could lead them back to a main trail. A drop of rain plopped on the map, staining its surface and only adding to Tony’s aggravation. 

Peter took a sharp breath beside him, “Mr. Stark, I really think y-“

  
“PARKER.”

A sudden crash of thunder shook the ground, causing Tony to jump. Peter cried out, covering his hypersensitive ears and squeezing his eyes closed. Tony reached over and grabbed Peter’s upper arm, pulling him close. Tony wrapped an arm around the kid’s tense shoulders. “It’s alright. Let’s uh...” Tony scanned the surrounding land, no shelter in sight. 

“Th-there’s a river or-or a stream nearby,” Peter mumbled. “I can hear the water.”

_Oh_. That’s what the kid was trying to tell him. Tony inwardly cursed himself for being so harsh with him. It was a move out of Howard’s book, and Tony didn’t like that. Not one bit. 

Tony patted Peter on the shoulder, “Alright, Pete. That’s good. Can you get us there?” 

Peter nodded, his eyes surveying the land. He suddenly started walking off the path and through the dense undergrowth of the woods. Putting his trust in the kid and his spidey-sense, Tony followed suit. 

***

Within a few minutes, the sound of rushing water filled Tony’s ears. But maybe that was just the rain. The sky had broken open in the past minute, and both he and Peter were shivering, soaked to the skin. 

Tony stumbled out of the thick foliage and onto the rocky, sandy bank of a stream. He laughed in relief, “Nice work, kid!” He called over the roar of the rain and stream. 

Peter’s arms were crossed over his chest and strands of hair plastered to his face. At this rate, they were both going to get hypothermia, a cold at the least. A small, overhanging cliff by the bank caught Tony’s eye. The land underneath the small cliff of leaves, dirt, and rock was hollowed out, creating a little niche that would protect them from the rain.

Peter caught his eye and seemed to have come to the same realization. Tony had one hand grasping Peter’s arm as they ran carefully over the slick rocks. They ducked underneath the overhanging cliff and promptly collapsed on the dry, sandy ground. Tony immediately shrugged his backpack off and pulled out a sweatshirt. He handed it to Peter, who was shivering in his short-sleeve science pun shirt. 

Peter shook his head, trying to push it back towards Tony. “Y-you need that.”

Tony huffed, resorting to putting the sweatshirt over the kid’s head himself. Peter muttered muffled protests as Tony fed his arms through the sleeves. His brown mop of wet hair popped out, followed by an exasperated, pouty face. 

Tony pulled out a jacket for himself. “If I’m remembering correctly, you’re the one who doesn’t thermoregulate.”

Peter opened his mouth to protest, then thought better of it. He curled his hands into the sleeves, making sweater paws to warm his fingers up. 

Tony sighed, laying back with his head resting on his backpack. Peter copied him, and they settled down to wait out the rain. The two laid in silence for a while, watching the rain. 

“Well,” Tony broke the quiet. “We found the stream you were looking for. The yellow trail will be nearby. We can find it in the morning.” When the man received no response, he turned to see Peter curled in a ball, back to him and shaking miserably. Tony’s heart clenched when he heard the kid let out a quiet sniffle. “Hey...”

Tony rested a hand on his shoulder, pulling gently to get Peter to turn over. He was met with little resistance, and watched as the kid wiped a sleeve over his face before looking at Tony. His eyes were red and tear tracks stained his face. Tony couldn’t help but wonder what he did to set this off. 

Tony frowned, “What’s wrong, Pete?”

Peter swallowed down a small hiccup and fiddled with his sweater sleeves. He sighed, “I-I’m so sorry. It’s my fault we’re in this mess, and it was so nice of you to take me on this trip. I just had to go and r-ruin it...” he trailed off as his face scrunched up, the only warning before he burst into tears. He covered his eyes with his sleeves self-consciously. 

Tony laid there for a moment in shock. He was so far out of his depth. Sure, he’s held the kid’s hand when he’s been stitched up, hugged him, and even seen him cry over a movie. But Peter had never  _ sobbed _ . Tony hated every second of it. The heartbreaking cries, every tear that fell down his face, the way his hands shook as they hid his misery...

_ No. _ Enough was enough. Tony reached forward, curling his arms around the kid. He pulled him toward him and laid Peter’s head on his chest. The man draped one arm across his back and rested the other in his loose, somewhat damp curls. Peter let out a particularly painful sob from deep in his chest. Tony swallowed a lump in his throat and began threading his fingers through the kid’s hair. 

“It’s okay, bud,” Tony shushed him. “It’s not your fault. That one’s on me. You said your senses weren’t working like they should. I overlooked that.”

Peter curled a hand in Tony’s shirt. He sniffled wetly before looking up at his mentor, eyebrows furrowed. “It’s not yo-“

“Ah, nope. The adult is talking.”

Peter hid a smile with his sleeve. 

Tony laid his head back, rubbing a hand up and down Peter’s back. “How about this. You agree that this wasn’t all on you, and you’ll get an exclusive, one-time deal for a free course on orienteering for emergency situations. Taught by me, of course. Deal?”

Peter laughed, rubbing the last of his tears away. “Yeah, okay. Deal.”

They laid like that until morning. Peter curled under Tony’s arm, both of them fast asleep. They awoke to a warm, golden sunrise and watched it in the comfort of each other’s presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates to be posted every week! All chapters are in progress 😁
> 
> Comments and kudos inspire me so much!! ❤️
> 
> [Come say hi to me on Tumblr!](https://carpediem369.tumblr.com//)

**Author's Note:**

> Updates to be posted at random, but hopefully soon! All chapters are in progress 😁
> 
> Comments and kudos inspire me so much!! ❤️
> 
> [Come say hi to me on Tumblr!](https://carpediem369.tumblr.com//)


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